The Final War
by Ultra Hikari
Summary: In a world where people battle giant robots for survival, young orphan Kira is thrown right into the middle of that war. Will he be able to make a difference or at least not die? Sure, but it won't be easy. AU/AR. Story discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Final War

Rating: PG to R (T to M)

Characters: Kira, Renji, Momo, Shuuhei, and others

Pairings: no explicit ones

Warnings: some violence

Spoilers: none

Genre: AU, adventure

Summary: In a world where people battle giant robots for survival, young orphan Kira is thrown right into the middle of that war. Will he be able to make a difference or at least not die? Sure, but it won't be easy. AU/AR

A/N: The story is being written, so if anything is not clear at the moment, I'll probably get to explaining it in the later chapters. Some chapters are short, some are longer.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or the characters of it and make no money from writing this.

* * *

'Any good news, Isane?'

She tiredly shook her head: 'They brought in some survivors. Kids, most of them.'

Sixty-Nine frowned. The Society didn't need more kids, they needed fighters. However, there was no choice but keep them here. It was sympathy that made humans human. If the Society didn't take in all survivors, they would be no better than the machines.


	2. Chapter 2

Kira slowly blinked as his consciousness returned. The pain told him he was alive. And that sharp medical smell – where exactly was he?

The last thing he remembered was the explosion. The machines had found his family and were about to do the only thing they were programmed to. Then the trap his father had set was activated. The only downside of it was, the trap killed everyone, not just the machines.

'How did I survive?' wondered Kira. He attempted to get up, but a gentle hand pressed him back down. A woman with long braided hair came into his field of vision.

'Just sleep, boy,' she said. 'Everything will be fine.'


	3. Chapter 3

Kira was released from the infirmary. That skin grafting surgery was really impressive, he thought. His skin felt itchy and tight, as if too stretched over his bones. But it was a vast improvement from the mess of burns and raw patches that covered all his body when they just started working on him.

He didn't know what to do now. He would have loved to stay in the infirmary, help out maybe, but what they needed was real doctors, not people like him without any skills.

Kira felt useless, and the Society didn't need useless people. There was only one thing he could do – join the fighters.


	4. Chapter 4

It was difficult to find the headquarters, Kira had to ask for the directions twice. All tunnels looked the same to him, he did not understand the coordinate system yet. But he recognised the right bunker right away – there was a queue at the entrance. Some old men, some women, some young guys his age. He approached the person last in line – a guy with red hair, tied in a messy ponytail.

'Is this the headquarters of the fighters?' Kira asked politely.

'What's it look like, duh,' the redhead replied.

Kira bit his lip. He was not used to dealing with people, he had hardly seen any, what with his family having always been on the move along the coastline following the algae fields, away from the machines,. His stay in the Society was probably the longest time he had ever spent in one place. And if he joined the fighters, he'd have to get along with everyone.

Kira looked at the redhead again. He noticed the ends of the hair in the guy's ponytail were all singed. Had he come straight from outside?

'Um, my name is Kira, by the way, what's yours?' Kira attempted to get friendly with the guy.

'Ha, as if I'm tellin' ya!' answered the guy, but there was an odd flicker in his eyes, that gave him away. Kira had seen plenty of such people in the infirmary. That guy had been mindwiped by the machines.

'I'm sorry,' Kira whispered. The redhead didn't even look at him.


	5. Chapter 5

'How old are you?' asked Sixty-Nine.

'Seventeen,' Kira replied quietly, in awe of the famous squad leader. During his short stay in the Society Kira had heard many stories about Sixty-Nine and his successful raids against the machines. Who would have thought such an important man would conduct the interviews with fighter wannabes?

Sixty-Nine eyed Kira attentively, and Kira felt that the man didn't quite believe what Kira told him. It was probably difficult to determine Kira's age – his new pink skin made him look quite baby-faced. Sixty-Nine's own rugged looks belied his rather young age. And there was that tattoo...

'Any special skills?' inquired Sixty-Nine.

Kira thought about it. All his skills were connected with algae farming – that was his family's trade. But those were not the skills he could use in fighting. However, one thing Kira knew he was pretty good at.

'Surviving,' he answered.

Sixty-Nine smiled humourlessly: 'You'll need that skill.'


	6. Chapter 6

They didn't have to fight the machines right away. It made some sense, Kira thought. A little training would increase their chances of survival and make them into more efficient soldiers. But Kira could have done without this particular aspect of knowledge – the mechanism of the machines.

Their instructor was named Gin. He had detailed illustrations of cross-sections and structure of the machines, and pointed out specific items on those pictures with obvious desire to disgust people. It worked. One of the girls (she called herself Peach, Kira remembered) hurriedly apologised and ran out of the bunker.

'Oh my, some of the new fighters have such delicate constitutions,' Gin gleefully commented, as the sound of vomiting was heard from behind the door. Kira was not much affected by what he heard, though. He just underlined the last sentence in his notebook:

'The m-s use living humans as fuel: energy of cell division.'


	7. Chapter 7

Kira was surprised to find out he was really good with weapons. He could almost intuitively understand the purpose of every new weapon they showed him, and his shots hit the mark with astonishing precision. That probably made people envious. At least that ponytailed guy who wouldn't tell his name definitely was.

Kira could tell by the way the guy almost beat him up when they practiced the basics of hand-to-hand combat (not that they would ever need that – one could not fight the machines without weapons). Gin intervened:

'Now, now, Mr Red, don't kill my favourite student!'

'My name isn't Mr Red,' growled the ponytail.

'Do you have any other name, then?' Gin smiled nastily.

A couple of people snickered, obviously Mr Red was a nickname that would stick. The guy looked like he was about to punch Gin, but then turned around and left.

Kira just couldn't leave him like that, after all, the whole situation was partly his fault. He went after Mr Red.

'What do you want?' the guy rudely asked when Kira finally caught up with him.

'Look, I'm sorry! Gin shouldn't have said that. That wasn't nice,' Kira said.

Mr Red snorted: 'As if he ever did anything nice. And you shouldn't spend so much time being sorry. Better work on your fighting skills, weakling.'

The gruff reply didn't throw Kira off – somehow he knew that Mr Red would not be his enemy anymore.


	8. Chapter 8

Their first mission was a disaster. Instead of the comparatively easy extermination of lone Explorer class machines, they had stumbled on a fully armed Harvester class unit.

'Retreat! Everyone, retreat!' Sixty-Nine yelled. Everyone did, except for Peach.

'Leave, I'll stop them!' Sixty-Nine commanded. But she didn't.

Kira looked back and saw the two of them standing there before the oncoming machines. It was as it time itself had slowed. Kira knew that running would be the best choice, if he went back there to help, he would definitely get killed. If he got lucky, that is. And yet – leaving those two to fight against those monsters? What kind of human being would Kira be if he did that?

'Damn it!' Kira exclaimed uncharacteristically, and dashed back to meet the Harvesters.

'What the fuck, Kira?' Mr Red yelled. Kira waived to the guy to run away, but Mr Red followed him. And then they reached Sixty-Nine and Peach.

'Idiots, all of you,' Sixty-Nine remarked. Kira felt the urge to apologise, but his mouth was absolutely dry as he watched the heavy Harvesters slowly roll closer to them, metre by metre coming into shooting distance.

'Aim for the transmitters, and watch out for mindwipe beams!' ordered Sixty-Nine. The three younger fighters nodded.

'I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die,' this thought was running in a loop in Kira's head. But he knew they would need a miracle to survive.


	9. Chapter 9

A miracle came unexpectedly. An odd humming sound joined the roar of the Harvester engines. Kira looked up and saw the source of the sound – two Exterminators had arrived! If Sixty-Nine was famous, the Exterminators were the stuff of legends. They were the only ones who could pilot aircraft – the only technology the machines did not have –, they effortlessly ruled the sky and brought the machines death from above.

And now Kira was able to witness it firsthand. Aircraft laser beams travelled across the surface of the Harvesters, burning ragged grooves in their smooth carapaces. The Harvesters tried to shoot, but aircrafts avoided the missiles easily. Everything was over in mere minutes, the Harvesters were turned into piles of deformed metal junk.

Then the aircraft landed, and the Exterminators stepped out. One of them looked rather like a kind doctor, he was even wearing glasses. Kira felt somewhat disappointed that the Exterminator looked so plain. The other Exterminator was...

'Gin!' exclaimed both Kira and Mr Red, though the latter had a much more dissatisfied tone.

'What, didn't know I'm an Exterminator? Full of surprises, me!' smugly explained Gin, and Kira heard Mr Red sigh with annoyance.

They explored the remains of the Harvesters. Twisted metal parts, burnt plastic, and something else. Kira bent closer to examine, and smelt the unmistakable odour of charred flesh...

'There were people inside!' he realised with horror. Of course, he knew what the Harvesters did, what their purpose was, but he had felt so relieved when the Exterminators saved them, that he had completely forgotten.

'Kira, everything all right?' asked a kindly voice, and Kira looked up into the smiling, bespectacled face of Exterminator Aizen.

'You killed them,' Kira whispered, his mouth dry with fear at his daring to accuse the Exterminator, and with horror and grief at being a part of it.

Aizen said: 'They couldn't be saved, I'm afraid. They were already extensions of the machines – soulless, brainless puppets. I believe Gin told you about the second stage of mindwipe, didn't he? There was nothing we could do. So just forget about them. Now, some of this stuff might come in handy in the Society, why don't you have a good look around?'

Kira nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat, and went on scavenging in the wreckage.

* * *

So, Kiwi-kiwi-kii, was your guess about the contents of this chapter correct? ;)


	10. Chapter 10

Kira would not have thought that fighting the machines could turn into routine, he was so shaken after that first mission. Yet, as weeks went by, he got used to it. His hands no longer trembled when he pulled the trigger on some Explorer machine. He had seen the Harvesters again, but luckily they failed to register his presence. In a way they were like animals, Kira thought. Or more like big dumb ants, doing only what they have been programmed to do ages ago. Sixty-Nine really was a great squad leader, the survival rate for his fighters was the highest in all the Society. Kira could almost say that his life was getting stable.

He was not lonely – after that first encounter with the Harvesters Peach and Mr Red had become his friends. Sixty-Nine seemed to think well of Kira – at least, every time when some improvements in their weaponry were developed, Sixty-Nine asked Kira to test them. Kira began to think that the Society was his home, and nothing bad could happen to him and his friends.

He was wrong.


	11. Chapter 11

The emergency state was declared in the Society. It came as a surprise, and was never explained. Everyone was simply supposed to be prepared and flee as soon as the evacuation order was given. People felt uneasy, the tension and apprehension in the air were almost palpable. Kira was glad that Sixty-Nine asked him to come on a special assignment – Kira could not stand the anxiety that made everyone edgy.

'Where are we going?' Kira asked. They had left the densely populated tunnels and were in an unfamiliar part of the Society.

'You'll see,' cryptically replied Sixty-Nine.

'Hey, I wanted to ask you about the emergency state. Do you know why...' Kira began, but Sixty-Nine interrupted: 'You'll hear about that soon enough.'

Finally they stopped in front of a non-descript bunker door. Apparently that was their destination. Sixty-Nine knocked, the door swung open, and they walked in. It looked like they had come to some sort of meeting – there were eleven people sitting around a rickety table.

'Is a secret society or something?' Kira wondered, feeling slightly uneasy at the fact that everyone stared at him. He gave a small bow as a greeting.

'This is Kira,' announced Sixty-Nine. 'And these,' he nodded in the direction of the table, 'are the remaining Exterminators.'

Kira blinked: 'Remaining?'

The elderly man who sat at the end of the table said: 'The Exterminators Aizen and Gin have betrayed the human race and joined the machines.'

Kira couldn't believe what he heard. The mere idea was unthinkable. Ridiculous, even. Betrayed the human race? Joined the machines? There had to be a mistake.

'Why?' Kira weakly managed to ask.

The man answered: 'Exterminator Sixty-Nine, have a seat. You too, Kira. And we'll tell you everything about it. After all, you are about to join our ranks!'

Kira frowned. Exterminator Sixty-Nine? Since when? And what ranks? He must have looked confused because another man at the table gave a toothy grin and said: 'Exterminator Kira, do you like flying?'


	12. Chapter 12

Kira walked back in a daze. Aizen's betrayal was not just unthinkable, it was ridiculous. Join the machines? How could one join them if one could not negotiate with them? Or did Aizen find a way? And for what purpose? Kira shook his head. No, there had to be a mistake. He did not know Aizen at all, but he did know Gin. That man had a nasty sense of humour; he loved annoying people, and in general could be called an unpleasant person. But not to the extent that he would want to destroy the humanity. Or would he? Kira asked himself, but found no answer.

'Oy, Kira! Where have you been?' a familiar voice him. Kira turned around and, sure enough, there were Mr Red and Peach. She almost gasped and said: 'Kira, you look so pale! What happened?'

Kira shrugged awkwardly. He felt pretty bad, too, but he was not sure he should be telling his friends about Aizen and Gin's treason.

'Dude, if somebody pick on you, let me know, and I'll beat them up!' Mr Red said.

'Thanks, but if that was the case, I would be able to take care of it myself,' Kira replied, both annoyed that Mr Red still thought him a weakling, and grateful that his friend would do something like that for him.

'Kira, if not that, what happened then?' Peach asked worriedly.

'I'm not sure I can tell you,' Kira hesitated.

'What, you gonna start keeping secrets from us?' Mr Red snorted.

Kira sighed. He did want to talk to somebody – the things he had heard were just too disturbing.

'All right, I'll tell you,' he said. 'But not here.'


	13. Chapter 13

'It's a lie! All of it, I don't believe a single word!' Peach shouted and ran out of Kira's bunker, slamming the door.

'What?' confusedly asked Kira. Sure, what he said was shocking, but not enough to warrant such an extreme reaction.

'She had some sort of a crush on Aizen ever since he saved our arses that time with the Harvesters,' Mr Red explained.

'I guess I should apologise to her,' said Kira.

'For what? For telling the truth?' Mr Red snorted. 'She'll get over it. But damn, Aizen and Gin doing that, I would never imagine... Well, Gin I could imagine, he is a twat.'

'Hey, he's not so bad,' protested Kira.

'For you maybe 'cause you were the teacher's pet,' Mr Red said. ' Everyone else thinks he is an unspeakable bastard.'

Kira shrugged – the argument seemed pointless now.

'So what are you gonna do?' Mr Red asked.

'I guess they are going to give me some training to pilot an aircraft and stuff,' Kira replied.

'Lucky you! Why did they choose you, not somebody cool like me?' Mr Red laughed. Kira ducked his head. He knew Mr Red was just teasing, but that question was valid. Sure, Kira was good with mechanisms, but was that really enough? Exterminators were the ultimate weapons of the Society, and Kira was... just Kira. There was no way he could ever fit there and be useful. He'd definitely screw up and be a laughing stock. Or he would screw up and get people killed. Or he would screw up...

'Kira, you there?' Mr Red waived a hand in front of Kira's face.

'Yes, I was just thinking...' Kira began, but Mr Red interrupted: 'Well don't, now is not the time. Did you guys decide on some strategy?'

Kira sighed. The Exterminator committee had talked about that, but most of it went over Kira's head.

'Well,' he tried to explain, 'there is not much we can do. If Aizen and Gin attack the Society alone from the air, we have more aircraft and will be able to fight them off. If they direct the machines here and attack from the air and from the ground, we might be in trouble. But that depends on how many machines they have, and what class. If it's just ten Explorers, you could probably take them out by yourself.'

Mr Red chuckled, and Kira gave a little smile. If only it were so simple. He continued: 'But if Aizen and Gin modify the machines to make them fly and come here in sufficient numbers, we're pretty much dead.'

'Fuck...' Mr Red remarked. Apparently he found the last perspective as unpleasant as Kira did.

'So what, we just sit and wait for them to come?' Mr Red asked after a pause.

Kira shrugged: 'Not much else we could do, is there?' Their defence strategy would probably have to depend on what steps Aizen decided to take.

'We can strike first!' Mr Red suggested. Kira smiled, That was exactly what one of the Exterminators had said, a man with an absolutely psychotic grin.

'Strike where?' Kira asked. 'Remember what we learned? They have no permanent base.'

'Oh yeah,' Mr Red frowned. As far as the Society knew, it was the truth. At least, their aircraft scouts could never discover anything like a permanent base. The accepted theory, supported by the evidence from the movement pattern of the machines, was that the machines were produced on a giant mobile platform, and Harvesters were sent out from and returned to it with their victims. The Society never managed to find out more – when the scouts got too close, they encountered a much more heavily armed class of machines, and returned with great losses. The Society could not afford a closer investigation.

'For now, we just wait,' Kira said.

* * *

A/N: sorry it took so long, I've kind of lost interest in Bleach... But I'll still try to finish the story!


	14. Chapter 14

14

Waiting was difficult. A week had passed, and still the emergency state was neither cancelled, nor explained. People came up with the wildest theories about it, and Kira was almost tempted to tell the truth. He did not, of course, because he didn't know whether the truth would not make things even worse. Mr Red and Peach kept quiet, too.

At least something good was happening, too – Kira had his first flying lessons. He was now particularly glad about his understanding of mechanisms because piloting was difficult enough even without the additional pressures of limited time and potential attack dangers.

Sixty-Nine was taking lessons, too. Kira, with some measure of pride, noted that Sixty-Nine was rather more awkward at flying than Kira himself. It felt rather nice to be good at something cool, Kira thought. Too bad he did not get the chance to show his skills off – the lessons were supposed to be a secret. Still, despite his progress in flying Kira couldn't help but be worried about the future.


	15. Chapter 15

15

And then another meeting for the Exterminators took place. Chief Strategist, an old man with a long white beard, began the meeting by retelling the universally known truths in such a droning voice that Kira almost fell asleep. However, his attention snapped back immediately when the man said: 'So we must deliver a pre-emptive strike! I'll give the floor to my student Ukitake, who has a suggestion.'

'Yes, thank you,' Ukitake said.

'So that's Ukitake, huh?' Kira thought. He knew the Exterminators by their looks now, but they had never been formally introduced, so Kira usually referred to them by their looks. Ukitake, in Kira's mind, was 'the man in white' – his clothes seemed so pristinely clean they almost glowed. How he managed to keep so clean in the tunnels was a mystery for Kira.

'As Chief Strategist explained, we need to strike first,' Ukitake began in a low, hoarse voice. 'But to do that, we need to know their location. The easiest way would be to follow a Harvester when it is returning back to base. But all our previous efforts to follow, be it by air or on the ground, were not successful. However, one of my subordinates has worked out a good plan. We must gain control of a Harvester. With that, we can not only get close, we can infiltrate their base.'

The Exterminators listened in silence. Fighting the machines was one thing, but entering their base... That would be reckless at best, and a suicidal mission at worst. One of the Exterminators coughed meaningfully.

'Yes, Exterminator Blackground?' Ukitake asked. Kira glanced at Blackground – the man looked quite sceptical.

'With all due respect,' he spoke in a screechy voice, 'that would hardly be possible. Back in the days when I was the head of the laboratory, we had developed quite a number of various tactics along the lines. But it's useless. One cannot get close to Harvesters to control them manually – well, not with one's mind intact, anyhow. And one cannot override the instructions their base sends. One can just destroy the machine!'

Ukitake smiled and nodded: 'Exterminator Blackground, you describe the problem quite precisely. But this subordinate of mine happens to be something of a genius, if I am allowed to praise him in such a manner.'

Ukitake gave Blackground a sharp glance and added: 'Ishida is his name, I believe you might be familiar.'

Kira was surprised to see Blackground grimace, but the man did not say a word. Apparently there was a history between this Ishida and Blackground.

'And now I think Ishida should tell us about his plan himself,' Ukitake said, walked up to the bunker door and let in another man in white.


End file.
